A Journey Through Art History

**Meet the Masters: An Art History Journey Across Theory & Practice**

**Course Overview:**

Plunge into the vivid world of art history with this one-of-a-kind course that pairs scholarly study with hands-on painting. “Meet the Masters” takes you chronologically through landmark art movements while teaching you to recreate iconic works using authentic methods.

**Key Modules:**

1. **How Color Theory Evolved**
– Trace the color wheel from Renaissance treatises to today’s uses
– Hands-on workshop: build your own pigment chart using historical mixing methods

2. **Light and Shadow Through Time**
– Examine chiaroscuro from Caravaggio to Rembrandt
– Studio project: paint a still life using 17th-century Dutch lighting

3. **Temperature as an Emotional Language**
– Analyze how Romantics and Expressionists played with warm/cool palettes
– Color study: reproduce a Turner sunset and a Munch landscape

4. **Master Techniques Unpacked**
– Reverse-engineer the palettes of Vermeer, Monet, and Picasso
– Mixing challenge: match famous colors with period-accurate materials

5. **Post-Impressionism in Practice**
– Van Gogh’s Sunflowers: symbolism, brushwork, and cultural context
– Guided recreation: paint your own version with attention to impasto

6. **Expressionism and Modern Angst**
– The Scream as social commentary: fin-de-siècle anxiety and innovation
– Step-by-step project: convey emotion through simplified forms and bold color

**Course Features:**

– **Dual Approach:** Each session pairs an art history lecture with studio practice
– **Progressive Skill Building:** Methods grow more complex as we move through periods
– **Critical Analysis:** Build visual literacy through thoughtful critiques of your own work
– **Digital Resources:** Access high-resolution artwork images and historical documents

**Who Should Enroll?**

– Art history students who want to apply theory hands-on
– Studio artists looking to deepen their historical knowledge
– Educators wanting to weave art-making into history lessons
– Enthusiasts who want a more immersive way to study masterpieces

**Outcomes:**

By the end, students will:
✓ Understand major art movements within their cultural context
✓ Have the technical skill to recreate historical painting methods
✓ Build critical analysis skills for museum and gallery visits
✓ Create a personal portfolio of masterwork interpretations

**Length:** 12-week program (2-hour weekly lecture + 2-hour studio)

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.” – Pablo Picasso
Let this course help you write your artistic diary in the language of the masters.

Enroll now to close the gap between appreciating art and making it!

*(Available for college credit or continuing education units)*